Davide Tardozzi: market rumor about the VR46 team

Ducati takes the stage at Misano for World Ducati Week, taking advantage of the break in the MotoGP championship. This year's Race of Champions will feature Pecco Bagnaia, Marc Marquez and Nicolò Bulega, with their brand teammates absent. Team manager Davide Tardozzi speaks on the eve of the all-red showdown.

Iker Lecuona will not take part in WDW because his wife has recently given birth. The Spaniard will spend time with his family before heading to the United Kingdom for the next WorldSBK round at Donington, from July 10 to 12. Also absent are the two riders from the Gresini Racing team. Fermin Aldeguer suffered a vertebral fracture during free practice at Assen, an injury that ruled him out of both the Dutch GP and the Race of Champions. Alex Marquez took fifth at Assen, thus completing his first race since returning from the injuries sustained in Barcelona. However, he crashed on Friday, suffering severe abrasions, especially to his right arm. Hence the decision not to join the Race of Champions, so as not to jeopardize his path in MotoGP.

This weekend at Misano, the Borgo Panigale manufacturer is also celebrating its centenary. In today’s race, participants will battle on equal terms at the wheel of a Ducati Panigale V4 S. On Saturday, Nicolò Bulega took pole position, ahead of Lorenzo Baldassarri and Pecco Bagnaia. The WorldSBK leader confirms he is in excellent form and deserving of a chance in the MotoGP class for 2027. There has long been talk of him joining VR46, although the deal has yet to be signed.

Davide Tardozzi, Ducati team manager, spoke about this possibility to Sky Sport. "I see Nicolò Bulega as the favorite, even though Pecco was very fast in some of the tests he did with his Panigale... I see Nicolò very, very charged and motivated, and I think the results he’s getting now in Superbike definitely make him worthy of a place in MotoGP next year. We hope so. But we’ll see, riders always have surprises in store for us."

In the MotoGP championship, Ducati is making a comeback after an uphill start to the season dominated by Aprilia. It will be a great battle between the two Italian brands; nothing can be taken for granted this year. "Our rivals are very competitive and are deservedly leading the championship. So, despite the bad crash, the recent disappointing races and, unfortunately, Bezzecchi’s misfortune, I think Jorge Martin and Marco Bezzecchi will also be in the fight. Therefore, we don’t take victory for granted," Tardozzi concluded. "We know we are very competitive, but we have the utmost respect for our rivals."

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